A Pirate's Life For Me! We Need A Musician!
by Aoikami Sarah
Summary: After the Straw Hat Pirates leave Arubasta, they pick up the crewmember Luffy's always wanted: a musician! But is the pirate's life for her? No particular relationships, just nakama.
1. Largo Atoll

**A Pirate's Life For Me! We Need A Musician!**

**Part 2 of a 4 Part Saga**

by Aoikami Sarah

_NOTE: This is Pre-Skypeia sort of filler Arc. Elements from this story will arise in the next two stories in this saga. Harmony Sairen, Bravo, Opus, Lilly Marlene, Vivace Rondo and Kerodo Clef are property of Aoikami Sarah._

**Chapter One – Largo Atoll**

The Going Merry bobbed in the golden twilight as it docked in the bustling harbor. Five crew members disembarked and walked up the pier. A huge sign, a gateway to the port city welcomed them.

"Welcome to Largo Atoll," Nami read the sign, making a mental note to include it on the map of the island she would draw later. "The entertainment capital of the Grand Line."

"Alright! Let's party!" Usopp cheered, glad to land on a friendly island for once. His captain hooted in agreement. Nami groaned.

"Oi, you two morons behave yourselves," Sanji advised. "Chopper, make sure they don't do anything stupid."

"Mou, Sanji. You don't trust us?" Luffy whined.

"No."

Nami put her hands on her hips. "Do what he says. I don't want to have to run from this place before I get a chance to enjoy it." She patted a large backpack Sanji had slung over one shoulder. "We're going to change some gold for Berrie and get some provisions. Meet back at the ship in three hours so Robin and Zoro can have some fun in town, too."

"Can we go now!" Usopp begged, dancing from one foot to the other.

"Go."

Luffy and Usopp took off running into the city. "Wait! Guys!" Chopper, in four-legged form, called after them and gave chase.

"I have a bad feeling about this," Nami moaned. "Come on, Sanji-kun."

"Hai Nami-san!"

**.X.**

Largo Atoll was a large crescent of land ringing a lagoon on which small, beautiful ships, too ornate to seem seaworthy rested. The buildings shone with light. Each one was different and interesting: a pyramid, a castle, a temple, reds, greens and golds. Luffy couldn't stop shouting 'cool' at all the amazing things he saw.

"Uh… Luffy?" Chopped asked, pulling on his vest with his teeth to get his attention. "Don't you think there's an awful lot of gambling places here?"

Usopp nodded. "It seems that every place we've passed is a casino."

"Really! Where do people eat!" Luffy wondered.

"I hope Nami makes it to the market without gambling all our treasure away!" Usopp fretted.

"Here." Luffy stopped dead in front of one of the casinos, a black and white building with a huge sign with a squiggly logo. "We're going in here." The marquis advertised a number of events and acts the place had as attractions.

"The G-Clef, home of Musical Genius Harmony Sairen," Usopp read.

"We need a musician," Luffy stated. "I'm gonna ask him to come with us!"

"Him?" Usopp asked, cocking his head to the side. "Funny name for a guy."

They entered the casino. With its high ceilings and large crowd, it wowed the three pirates. As they were wandering in, they bumped into two massive frog-type merman security guards.

"Sorry," one of them croaked. "No pets."

They looked to Chopper, shrugged and went back outside. The second attempt failed as well.

"Sorry. No kids."

Chopper looked up and pouted. Usopp rolled his eyes and escorted Chopper back out again. The tall, more human-looking form did the trick. They passed by the guards and into the casino proper. They passed black jack and roulette tables, pachinko and slot machines. Usopp and Chopper had to drag Luffy away from the all-you-can-eat buffet, arguing that if he were to eat his fill, they would surely be thrown out.

The theatre was deep inside the heart of the casino. Rather than filled with rows of seats, it was set up like a night club with tables and chairs. Waitresses escorted them to a free table in the back right of the room and served them drinks. Shortly, the MC stepped on stage. He was tall, thin and wore a bright red tuxedo with more of the squiggly G-clef logo on its lapels. He bowed slightly to the audience and greeted them. "Ladies, Gentlemen and Mer-folk. Welcome to the G-Clef. It is our pleasure to present to you the one-woman orchestra, master of all instruments, the musical genius, Harmony Sairen!"

The curtain went up as the audience applauded. The house lights dimmed. Under a solitary spotlight stood a short young woman wearing a sparkling black sequined dress. Her bright pink hair was tied back in a bow, with sausage-curl bangs sprouting from her temples. It seemed to glow against her tanned skin. She lifted her wrist and strummed a small nylon stringed acoustic guitar. For about eight measures she played only simple chords in an even simpler progression. Just as the audience was getting fidgety, she grinned, flicked the pick off to her left and used her fingers to pluck out a flamenco melody of incredible complexity. When the crowd was about to applaud, she switched styles to bluegrass, keeping the melody the same. Then she switched again, slowing the tempo to a classical style. Her finger-work was so precise and the tune so melodious that when she finally ended the song, the audience was stunned into silence.

She bowed once as if she expected such a reaction and the lights came up on the orchestra that had been waiting behind her. A woman in a tuxedo came out with a microphone and a saxophone. She handed the sax to Harmony and began to sing. The orchestra kicked in and genius played the saxophone with the soul of someone three times her age.

"_These feelings overflow and disconnect so I tighten my grip on your hand_

_Even when I'm left alone, I'll follow you so look for me in the distance!"_

"_Hamidashita kimochi tsunagara nakute_

_Kimi no te o gyutto girikaesu yo"_

**.:o:.** Lyrics from "Run Run Run" 2nd Ending Theme **.:o:.**

The theatre went crazy.

An hour later, the performance was over and the audience was exhilarated.

"That was awesome!" Chopper cried.

"Did you see her play two trumpets _at once_!" Usopp shouted.

"Awesome!" Chopper agreed.

"She _has_ to join us!" Luffy announced.

"Oi, Luffy, She's not gonna wanna leave all this," Usopp said, motioning to the general grandeur of the casino.

"Sure she will. Being a pirate is cool."

"Luffy…" Usopp groaned. "She's not gonna wanna be a pirate. She's a performer."

"Nami wasn't a pirate," Luffy argued.

"Yes, she was, she worked for Arlong."

"What about Zoro?"

"He was a pirate hunter who became an outlaw, you know that."

"Chopper!"

"Dr. Hiruluk taught me to be a pirate in my heart," Chopper asserted, looking down on them.

"Usopp!"

"My father is a pirate and besides _I am Captain Usopp_!" Usopp bellowed attracting not a few people's attention.

"Sanji!"

"Worked with pirates!"

"Robin!"

"Stop!" Usopp smacked Luffy upside the head.

"Ow! Ok. She'll need some convincing."

"He wasn't deterred at all!" they groaned.

Chopper turned to Usopp. "How much time do we have left?"

"About a half an hour," he replied, looking at his watch. "We should start heading back to the ship. Boy, the others will be so blown away by Harmony! Na, Luffy, wanna get something to eat before we…" He trailed off as he boggled at the empty space where his captain had been standing only moments before. "Ah! He's gone!"__

More to come...


	2. We Need A Musician

**A Pirate's Life For Me! We Need A Musician!**

**Part 2 of a 4 Part Saga**

by Aoikami Sarah

**Chapter Two – We Need A Musician**

Luffy whistled to himself as he made his way backstage, trying to look as inconspicuous as possible. People milled around him, moving set-pieces and costumes. Finally he came to a door bearing a pink star and the word 'Harmony' written in golden glittering letters. He opened the door without knocking.

Sitting in front of a large, well-lit mirror, surrounded by flowers sat Harmony Sairen. Her back was to the door. She had changed out of her sparkling dress and into a simpler black skirt and striped short-sleeved shirt. She leaned on her elbows and held her face in her hands. Luffy stared, unblinking at her image in the mirror. She was crying.

"Hey!" he said in greeting. "Wanna come away with us and be the musician on our super-cool pirate ship?"

She turned, startled and stared at him.

"We have tons of fun sailing the Grand Line and having adventures! We have a doctor and a really good cook, but we don't have a musician. So you should come along." Harmony wiped her eyes hastily and stood. Her brows arched in worry. "Say yes," Luffy urged quietly.

Harmony took a pen and a small notepad from the makeup table and scribbled quickly. She turned the pad to face him and Luffy made a quizzical sound. She waved it and pointed to her mouth, shaking her head. He approached her extended hand, leaned in and read aloud. "I'm sorry, but I can't speak." He straightened and looked her into her soft, green eyes. "Then _write _yes."

Harmony sort of scoffed and looked down, worrying the pen she was holding.

"Why not?" he asked.

As she looked up to start writing again, the door opened and two more frog-goons entered. Behind them, a small frog-man wearing a white tuxedo with black G-clefs on the lapels entered with a presence that let everyone know he was the center of attention, despite being no more than three feet tall. Harmony quickly hid the pad behind her.

"Is this boy bothering you, Miss Sairen?" the frog-man croaked. She shook her head. "Young man, this place is off-limits to the public."

"Who are you?" Luffy asked, unabashedly.

The frog-man laughed, amused for the moment. "I am this establishment's owner, Kerodo Clef. Miss Sairen is a sensitive artist and I would hate to see her disturbed or any of her equipment damaged in any way." Clef glanced to his henchmen. One of them cracked his neck and chuckled. Harmony bit her lip. She rubbed the pen behind her back faster. "Miss Sairen? Shall we escort him out?"

Harmony brought the pad out from behind her back but hesitated. The frog-goons clamped their webbed fingers down on Luffy's shoulders.

"Come on, Pal. We gotta show you out," one of them drawled in a deep baritone.

"Wait," Luffy said and knocked the clammy hand off. "She hasn't spoken yet."

"She won't," Clef snarled. "She lost her voice more than a year ago. About the time that your mentor abandoned you, right Miss Sairen?"

Mention of her mentor caused her to tense up. She put the pen to paper and slowly started to write. Clef grinned evilly. Luffy pouted and tried to think of something to do, but the only plan that came to mind was beating the hell out of the goons, grabbing the musician and making a run for the Going Merry. A more viable solution arrived just in time.

"There you are!" Chopper cried, his large form taking up much of the oversized doorway. The goons took one look at him, sensed a threat and turned their attention away from Luffy. Usopp peeked around Chopper, saw the goons coming at them, pulled his slingshot out and cried "Tokusei Tabasco Boshi!" The goon on the right took a shot of hot-sauce to the eye, turned and flailed. The one on the left tackled Chopper. Harmony backed away toward the mirror and Clef hid under a chair to avoid Usopp's slingshot.

Luffy grinned wide. "Say yes!" he called to Harmony. She looked from the goons to the reindeer-man to Clef to the sniper to the flowers on the make-up table to the smiling lunatic who had brought chaos into her world and scribbled on her pad. She held up the word 'yes' written as big as she could write.

"Usopp!" Luffy shouted, throwing a punch at the goon who had recovered from the hot-sauce. "Take her and run!"

"Ah! Ok!" he replied, confused, but did as he was told. He grabbed the poor girl by the wrist and hurried out. Half-way down the hall, they could hear the confusion in the dressing room and the stampede of dozens more frog-men coming to help. "What was going on in there!" he asked. She pulled her hand away and stopped running. "If you need to escape, Miss Sairen, we better run for it!"

She shook her head and pointed to a large set of doors to their left.

"I don't understand…"

She opened the doors and ran inside. In the corner, taking up half the room was a box. It was wooden, laced with brown leather straps and about six feet tall by five feet wide.

"Oh please say that's not your luggage!" Usopp moaned. To his utter surprise, she put her back to it, squatted down, laced her arms in two of the straps and stood up, easily lifting the box a good three feet off the ground. She smiled and jogged out of the large doors past him. "Ok…" Usopp shrugged and followed her.

The casino's patrons' heads turned as they raced by, but no one stood in their way until they reached the front doors. Harmony dropped the enormous box behind her in alarm.

A gamut of frog-man-bouncers blocked the way. Usopp cursed and reached for his sling shot. He was surprised to see a note flashed under his nose. Harmony waved it urgently. "Plug your ears…?" he read. "I don't get it." She made a plaintive face and waved the note again. The bouncers were closing in. "I don't know what good that'll do but for some reason, I'm gonna trust you!" He stuffed the sling shot in his pocket and pressed his palms against his ears.

Harmony turned her back to him. He cocked his head to the side as the bouncers relaxed, turned and walked out of the casino, right out through the plate-glass doors as if they didn't even know they were there. More of the same men were making their bulky way through the crowded tables and slot machines towards them. Harmony stood with her head hung, sobbing into her hands. Usopp blinked a few times. "Miss Sairen, come on! We've got to go!"

This snapped her out of it. She nodded and laced her arms through the straps again. They tore through the streets and headed for the pier.

**.X.**

Sanji was overjoyed to find a world-class epicurean market sprawling for blocks along the arching street. He practically danced from booth to booth, picking out what he wanted. Nami looked at some fancy tea pots one vendor had for sale. Practically everything had cards, dice, lemons, sevens, and other similar icons on it. "Excuse me," she asked the vendor. "What's with the gambling theme?"

The older man blinked at her. "This is Largo," he said simply. "Gambling is our number one tourist trade."

"Really?" Nami drawled and looked towards the flashing lights of the downtown area.

"Really. Largo is the only island between the Straights and the East. Everyone coming through the Straights comes here, so the tourist trade has always been our biggest source of income."

"The Straights?"

"You musta come from the East, huh?" the vendor raised a brow. "The Straights of Crescendo: the only bit of calm water for leagues. Unless you wanna shipwreck, you gotta pass through the straights, between the twin islands of Dihavala and Lee."

"Ah. Good to know. Thanks." She bought a bracelet with little aces, spades, diamonds and clubs hanging off it from the vendor. Nami counted the change as Sanji joined her, hefting shopping bags full of fresh meat and vegetables. Even after dark, the open air market was full of people and chefs from the plethora of restaurants buying fresh ingredients for their menus. Sanji's eyes were stars.

"Come on, Sanji-kun. We have to head back. Knowing those three, they'll probably lose track of time and poor Robin and Zoro will be stuck on the ship all night."

"Do we have to!" he whined, taking in all the amazing things to make more amazing food out of.

"Yes. The sooner we do, the sooner I can go check up on those… lunatics…" she said, trailing off as she spotted Usopp running for his life down a cross street in front of them. "Oh for pity's sake. Looks like I spoke too soon."

Usopp looked back and called to a girl running behind him carrying an impossibly heavy-looking crate. They disappeared down into the wharf district. Sanji sighed and dumped the groceries at Nami's feet. He strolled out into the street, faced uphill and waited for whoever was chasing his friend to catch up. He lit a cigarette.

Three huge frog-men skidded to a halt and menaced the chef. "Oi. Kero-yaro," Sanji greeted them and took a drag off his cigarette. "If you're after the guy with the long nose and the cute girl with the crate on her back," he said and hooked his thumb in their direction. "They went that-a-way."

"Sanji-kun!" Nami barked.

"But I was just thinking that there was something I wanted that this market doesn't offer. How would you like cuisses de grenouilles for dinner, Nami-san?"

She grinned. "Sounds good to me!" Sanji grinned as well.

"What's that?" one of the eight-foot-tall frog-men grunted.

The eye that wasn't hidden by a shock of blond hair widened in delight. "Frogs' Legs!"

Usopp panted and pressed himself as flat as he could against the side of a brick building in an alley and listened intently for their pursuers. Harmony crouched and set the huge crate onto the ground. She scribbled a message and held it up for Usopp to see.

"They're gone?" he read. She nodded. "How can you be sure?"

'I can't hear them anymore,' she wrote.

He tiptoed out into the street and looked around.

"What are you hiding from?" Sanji asked, startling Usopp white.

"Damn it, don't do that!" he cried. "There were these huge frog guys and they were chasing us and…!"

Sanji rolled his eyes. "You mean the grenouilles I took care of up the street?"

"Uh… sure. You took care of them? Alright, Sanji! You were right, Miss Sairen, they're really gone!" he crowed and looked to his companion. She was still cowering behind the box. "Miss Sairen?"

"Usopp, who are you talking to?" Nami asked, catching up.

Usopp blinked at the crate. Slowly, Harmony poked her head around the corner. "It's ok. These are my friends." She inched around the side, clutching her notepad tightly in her small hands. "Guys, this is Miss Harmony Sairen." Usopp gestured to her with his hand. "She's a musician."

"Why were those goons after you?" Nami asked, concerned. Harmony scratched away at her notepad. Nami looked to Usopp, who avoided her inquisitive eyes. "I must get this away from them?" she read. Harmony tapped her hand against the large wooden box.

Sanji crushed out a cigarette. "Then we better get you to a safe place, shouldn't we, Ojou-sama?"__

More to come...


	3. Escape From Largo

**A Pirate's Life For Me! We Need A Musician!!**

**Part 2 of a 4 Part Saga**

by Aoikami Sarah

**Chapter Three – Escape From Largo**

In the private chambers of the G Clef, its owner Kerodo Clef paced back and forth. The dozen or so large frog-man bouncers in the room with him were covered in bandages.

"Explain to me how you managed to let a thirteen year old human girl escape!" he shouted, a vein bulging on his green forehead.

"She yelled at us," one explained in an impossibly low baritone.

Clef stopped pacing. "She yelled? You mean, she spoke?!" he shouted. He tapped his wingtip shoes nervously. "She's gone? For sure?"

"Yeah, Boss."

He let out a sigh. "Well! I guess it's for the best, hahaha!" he said and turned to leave the room. The door swung open before he could get to it and a sort of jelly-fish-hybrid woman of about six feet tall blocked his hasty exit.

"Who's gone, Clef? Nothing better have happened to my precious Harmony-chan while I was away." She was curvaceous, dressed in a red sequined tuxedo jacket and exuded power and grace. Her skin was ghostly white. Her legs were long and perched delicately in a pair of open-toe heels. Her lips were blue. Her eyes were gold and her hair, or rather, her tentacles were purple and sort of translucent.

"Lilly Marlene-sama!" Clef exclaimed in what could be described as delight, but was more accurately shock and despair.

She snapped her fingers and held her elbow, perching her hand in waiting. Behind her, two humans appeared in the doorway with slinky red dresses and severe black wedge haircuts. One produced a briefcase. The other opened it. They took out something thin and black and assembled it together. Clef and his sizable body guards looked more than a little worried. One woman put a cigarette in the end of the long, thin pipe and the other put it in Lilly's outstretched hand. Lilly put the cigarette holder to her lips and one of them lit it for her. She took a few measured puffs and looked down on the minute frog-man before her. "Where did she go?" she asked seriously.

"I… I don't know… hehehe," Clef laughed nervously. "You know these kids. They get all worked up and take off. She'll be back!"

Lilly cast her eyes toward the bodyguards and took a deep breath. "After what she did to these lummoxes, I doubt this was so simple." She walked over to one of them who had more abrasions that the others. "You," she said, her voice steely. "Who did this to you?"

"The… the one that was all stretchy!" he replied.

"Stretchy?" Lilly breathed smoke into his face and turned to Clef.

"Oh! Right! Them. Forgot about them. Pirates, I think."

"You think?" The woman narrowed her eyes. "Think harder, Clef. Our Harmony's welfare is at stake."

**.X.**

Zoro hoisted the box up and over the side of the Going Merry.

"Set it down gently, Zoro! It's really important to Miss Sairen!" Usopp urged. The pink-haired girl looked intensely nervous as the swordsman strained to lift it over his head. "Eh?" he wondered. "Who's the kid?"

"Zoro, this is Harmony Sairen," Nami introduced her as they set foot on deck. "She's a famous musician and we're taking care of her, apparently."

"Whose bright idea was this?" he grumbled, setting the box down as instructed.

"Take a wild guess," she grumbled. Harmony hung her head. "Ah! I mean… It's not you, Miss Sairen. Our captain is a bit… capricious."

"Nice save, Nami," Usopp commented. "Say, where is he and Chopper? They haven't made it back yet. I hope they're ok! Those goons were scary!"

"Pfff," Sanji scoffed blowing smoke. "Those grenouilles were nothing. They're probably just lost."

"What the hell did you morons get yourselves into now?" Zoro asked. "Does this mean I don't get to go to a tavern?"

Harmony inched away and leaned against the huge box. She watched the strangers with wide eyes. The young man who invited her to come along was nowhere in sight. She closed her eyes and squatted down.

A hand slapped onto the lip of the deck.

"Look out!" Sanji called and grabbed Nami to get her out of the way before Luffy caught up with his hand.

"Incoming!" Usopp called and dove out of the way as Luffy with Chopper tucked under his other arm flew towards them. Zoro stuck out his own arm and caught them, jerking them to a halt.

"Ah! Thanks Zoro!" Luffy chimed. Harmony looked up.

"Don't tell me. We have to run away from whatever trouble you got yourself into?" Zoro groaned.

He laughed. "Something like that!"

"Ah! Miss Sairen, Usopp!" Chopper piped. "You made it!"

The young woman looked up at the crew and swallowed. She stood and bowed deeply. Luffy strode up to her, took her by the shoulder and introduced her. "Hey guys! This is Harmony. She's gonna be our musician! Harmony, this is my first mate, Zoro, navigator, Nami, liar, Usopp…"

"I'm the gunner!" he shouted.

"Cook, Sanji."

"I'm a five star gourmet chef…" he grumbled.

"And doctor, Chopper!"

The seventh crewmember strode down the stairs from the upper deck. "Ara, what's this? We've got a newcomer?"

"And that's our… um… archalologist, Robin!"

"It's archaeologist, dumbass," Sanji spat.

"What he said." Luffy looked down at the scared girl. "It's ok. Those jerks won't wreck your equipment. I won't let 'em." This seemed to significantly relax her. "Oh yeah! And there's me! I'm Monkey D. Luffy! The man who'll become the pirate king!"

"Oi, Luffy, don't you think we oughta set sail, like, soon? Like, before those goons that are after her catch up with us?!" Usopp panicked.

"Alright Let's go!" he shouted in agreement and the crew went to work on a well practiced hasty retreat.

**.X.**

Lilly Marlene rested on a plush divan in her suite at the G-Clef. Her two assistants were busy painting her toenails bright red. Night had settled into Largo and the room was dimly lit except for the lamp by which the women painted. Someone knocked on the door.

"Willkommen, Bienvenue, Come on in," she called.

"Oh, Lilly Marlene-sama, don't you look radiant tonight!" Clef gushed. Three large frogmen behind him carried several bunches of red roses.

"Save it. Where is Harmony-chan?"

"We're working on it…"

"You're useless. I gave you a chance, Clef. I suppose I'll just have to book my next engagement elsewhere…"

"N… No! Please! Now that we don't have Harmony, if we don't have you as a headliner, the G-Clef will be doomed!"

Lilly's red lips curled into a vicious smile. "It certainly will." Her diaphanous body didn't seem to move at all as she puffed on a cigarette in its long holder. "Well? What are you doing standing there about to pee your pants, go find her!"

"Ye… yes ma'am!" he stuttered and ran past the slower thinking goons in a flurry of red rose petals. When he had gone she rolled her eyes.

"If you want something done right, send your own henchmen…" She clapped her hands. A figure appeared in the shadows.

"Yes, Lilly Marlene-sama?"

"Our Harmony has flown the coop, supposedly with a pirate named Luffy." The shadow straightened at the mention of the name. "If you don't want to visit Davy Jones, _bring her back to me_."

"Understood."

"Olivia, Vivian," she said and the two women painting her toes looked up. "When you're done with that, dears, _burn this casino to the ground_."

"Understood!" they echoed each other.

_---_

_To be continued..._


	4. Eight Straw Hats

**A Pirate's Life For Me! We Need A Musician!**

**Part 2 of a 4 Part Saga**

by Aoikami Sarah

**Chapter Four – Eight Straw Hats**

The crew of the Going Merry settled down to bed a few hours before dawn with Largo Atoll well behind them. Harmony attempted sleep in Robin's room, but the swaying of the ship didn't lull her at all. When Robin awoke in the morning, she was surprised to find the girl gone. A quick scan of the ship with remote eyes found her on the bow, leaning against the great box she had brought with her. The girl's eyes were closed and her hand passed over the wood as if she were soothing it. Robin pouted slightly, grabbed her deck-chair and went out to see her.

"Good morning Miss Sairen," she greeted her. Harmony shook her head and bowed. "Too formal? Shall I call you Harmony-chan?" The girl smiled and nodded. "Very well." Robin set up her chair and sat down next to the box to enjoy the early morning light. "Have you always been mute?" she asked casually. Harmony shook her head and Robin hummed. "There was a time when I didn't feel like speaking very much. It was an unhappy time." Her eyes looked off into the horizon. "But I've been much happier since I stumbled on this crew. Perhaps like me, you'll find some kind of happiness with them, too."

Harmony stared at her Mary Jane shoes and fidgeted. The silence was broken by the call to breakfast and a clamoring from the boys' bunks as they rushed to be first to the table. The girl looked up, startled. Robin laughed and stood. "You'll get used to them. They'll grow on you, I'm sure."

Harmony sat up straight in her chair and watched them with her hands nestled in her lap as Sanji performed a sort of dance, setting the dishes around the grabbing hands. He threw a knife at Luffy to keep him in line, kicked Usopp in the head and cursed at Zoro. Chopper used his small size to his advantage and snuck a few more links of sausage from off of Usopp's plate. When that was done, Sanji picked up three plates and put them in front of Nami, Robin and Harmony. Perfect eggs over easy, rye toast, sausage and a slice of quiche were balanced on the plate and served with a tall glass of freshly squeezed mikan juice and a basket of pastries bought at the market the night before.

"Sanji-kun, may I have a small dish of that wonderful yogurt from the other day?" Nami asked, ignoring the bustle of the males entirely.

"Hai, Nami-swan!" He glowed and went to the refrigerator.

She turned to their guest. "Is everything ok, Harmony? You look a little pale."

"I believe she has never seen anything like this before," Robin said and indicated to the boys.

Sanji served Nami her yogurt and turned to the males. "You guys are scaring our guest!" he bellowed. "Knock it off for once, will ya!"

They stopped mid-brawl and looked over at the startled girl. "Ah, sorry Miss Sairen!" Usopp said with a smile. "It's not as bad as it looks."

She nodded slightly in reply and finally took a bite of the quiche. Sanji watched her carefully. She chewed, stopped, her eyes widened then she swallowed. She looked up at him and her face brightened. "How is it, Ojou-sama?"

"Mm!" she hummed and nodded.

Sanji raised his curly brow. "Glad you like it," he said with a grin.

"Ah! I'm full for now!" Luffy cheered. "Harmony, let's hear some music!"

"Luffy, what's she gonna play with?" Usopp said, raising his hand to make a point.

Chopper put his empty dishes in the sink. "Yeah, it's too bad that you had to run away so fast, Miss Sairen," he said. "You didn't get to bring any instruments with you."

Harmony stood up and shook her head. She gestured for the others to follow her as she jogged out of the galley.

On the bow sat the enormous box that Usopp had thought was Harmony's luggage. It was taller than the young woman, but she had been able to lift it as if it were nothing more than her school back-pack. After they had arrived, Usopp tugged at one of the straps to find that it was far too heavy for him to even dream of lifting. Even Zoro had strained to hoist it over the side of the ship. Harmony indicated to the box and smiled. She pulled the heavy leather straps out of their buckles, unlatched the hasp lock and lifted the lid up over her head. She threw it back and to the pirates' surprise, the box folded out into a contraption the likes of which they had never seen.

The top created a sort of proscenium arch as it flipped back. The sides folded out, exposing tubes and valves of rubber, brass, silver and wood. From the front, a keyboard with dozens of black and white keys, much more than the standard 88, and rows of brightly colored and well-worn knobs and switches slid forward and up to Harmony's waiting hands. She flipped a few switches and pulled on a red lever. It folded out into a crank which she turned a few times. The box began to hum. She pulled Robin's deck chair over and sat sideways in front of the instrument.

"What a neat thing!" Luffy exclaimed. Everyone was already really impressed with it before it had even made a sound. Then Harmony put her gifted fingers to the keys. One keyboard seemed to control percussion, another strings and another, woodwinds. One sounded like a proper piano and in conjunction with the colored knobs they made a representation of a song that sounded as if an entire band was playing right there on the deck. She played a rolling salsa beat that had everyone, even Robin and Zoro, dancing.

They danced right through lunch. In the late afternoon, Harmony shifted to more soothing classical and new-age styles before stopping for the day. Sanji watched her finish the last song, a soft, mostly piano tune. She picked out what would have been the vocal with a plaintive violin sound. "The only thing that could have made that more enjoyable," Sanji said quietly, "is if you had been able to sing along." She gave him a sad smile and nodded.

"Aren't you tired, Ha-chan?" Nami asked. "I sure am. I danced my butt off!"

"That was so much fun!" Luffy exclaimed and spun Nami around for emphasis. "Now I'm starved! Sanji! Food!"

"Yeah, yeah…" the chef agreed and wandered off to the galley.

"Did you write all those songs?" Zoro asked. "They were pretty good." Harmony shook her head and dug a piece of paper and pen out of her pocket. "You've never written a single song…" he read.

"Whoa, that's hard to believe!" Chopper cried. "You're so talented!" Harmony blushed and bowed in thanks to the doctor.

Nami shook her head, a little dizzy from dancing with Luffy and looked up at the clouds overhead. "Looks like fair weather. The breeze could be stronger, but we'll manage to put some distance between us and whoever might be following."

Usopp nodded emphatically. "The further from giant frogs I am the better. Where to next?"

"We have to pass through something called the Straights of Crescendo. I heard about them while we were shopping." She held up her wrist. The log pose pointed a little to the left. "Sanji-kun, turn to port 20 degrees, please!"

"Hai, Nami Swan!"

**.x.**

Anyone would have sworn Robin's eyes were glued to her book, but she kept one eye on Harmony from across the dinner table. The girl was still jittery, easily startled and wide-eyed at the antics of the unlikely pirates around her. More than once Robin caught a projectile launched as the result of a food fight between Usopp and Luffy that would have ended up in Harmony's face. Finally, when every last crumb had been consumed by the voracious boys, Luffy approached the younger girl.

"Ne, Harmony. Play us some fun songs again!" he begged. Chopper and Usopp seconded him.

"Oi," Sanji threatened. "One of you pieces of crap wanna stay and help clean up this mess?"

"See ya!" Usopp and Luffy cried in unison and bolted from the room. Zoro walked out with a yawn, mumbling something foul in the cook's general direction. Chopped cried out and dashed after them. Sanji's eye started to twitch.

Harmony scratched quickly on her pad of paper. "I'll help, Chef Sanji," she wrote. He calmed and blinked down at her. "Oh, ok. Thanks."

"That's a good girl, Ha-chan," Nami patted her on the head, glad to be guiltless. "Don't work her too hard, Sanji-kun!" She didn't notice the bright red blush that rose on Harmony's cheeks, but Robin smirked and closed her book.

Harmony washed and Sanji dried. She hummed to herself as she worked. With ease, Sanji dried the dishes and paid close attention to the sound of her voice. She would hum a bar of a sweet but somber melody, then hit a sour note, repeat it with the right note, change it, move further along, stop, do it again, change a note here, a bit of the tempo there as if she was trying to remember how a song went.

"It's nice," he said as he took a plate from her. "To have someone helping out who actually volunteers."

Harmony blushed and nodded but said nothing. She hummed along, soaping, rinsing and handing over clean dishes for him to dry. Her eyes were focused on the task, but it seemed to Sanji that she was looking at something further down the drain.

"That melody is beautiful." His voice reached her slowly through her concentration. "What's it called?"

Harmony stopped washing and let the coffee mug she was holding slip back down into the bucket of sudsy water. Her eyes widened and she gasped in alarm. She flashed him a surprised, delighted smile and rushed out of the galley.

Sanji blinked and watched her run away. "Something I said?" he wondered aloud and finished the last of the chore alone.

**.x.**

Luffy whined loudly, attracting the navigator's attention. Nami put her pen down and stretched. "Might as well see what the fuss is about if he's going to disturb me," she muttered, coming out of her drafting room. On the bow Usopp and Chopper were seated, facing the music box. Luffy was on his knees, bowing, begging Harmony to play for him. The musician was obviously not willing to accommodate.

"Luffy, leave her alone, will you?"

"But I wanna…"

"Ever consider what _she_ wants?" she called back.

Luffy looked shocked. He turned back to Harmony. "Sorry," he apologized and bowed again. "What do _you_ want to play?" A book hit him in the back of the head. "Yeow!"

"Oh, sorry about that," Robin called from the crow's nest. She climbed out to retrieve it.

Luffy took off his hat and rubbed the lump. "I mean, what do you want to do, Harmony?"

She reached into the mysterious music box and pulled out a bundle of papers tied together with a red ribbon. She hugged these to herself and grinned. Sanji emerged from the galley and lit a cigarette.

"Ah! You want to write!" Nami figured out. "Think of it this way, Luffy. It's like when I'm drawing a map. If I'm interrupted the map won't come out right."

"Let her alone for a while, Luffy," Sanji agreed. "I want to hear that melody again," he said with a wink. Harmony's eyes shot down to her shoes and she hugged the papers tighter.

"Can I still listen?" Luffy pleaded. Harmony nodded. "Yahoo!"

The crew stayed on the deck well into the night as Harmony took the music in her heart, poured it into the music box and meticulously recorded it on paper.__

More to come...


	5. Harmony Speaks

**A Pirate's Life For Me! We Need A Musician!**

**Part 2 of a 4 Part Saga**

by Aoikami Sarah

**Chapter Five – Harmony Speaks**

The following morning, Zoro woke on the deck and shivered. A little cold didn't bother him. He stood, stretched and grumbled, aggravated that he woke before breakfast. He yawned loudly and noticed he wasn't alone. At the bow of the ship Harmony sat hunkered over her unfolded music box, sleeping soundly. "Eh?" he wondered and approached her. "Hey, you shouldn't sleep on the deck, you'll catch cold." He stood beside her and raised a brow. "What the…?" He stuck his hand out towards the box. "It's warm?"

"Mm…" Harmony moaned in her sleep. "The swordsman…?" she muttered softly and opened her eyes.

"You sleep out here all night?" he asked, taking a step back.

Smiled, nodded and stretched. Her forearms had been holding down skeins of sheet music. The morning breeze picked a few of these pages up and blew them away. She made a startled sound and grasped at the papers.

"Got 'em!" Zoro shouted and snagged them out of the air before they went over the side. He examined them as he returned. "Songs?" he asked, not recognizing any of the annotations on the paper, but gathering that they must be musical.

Harmony nodded and organized the sheets again.

Zoro raised a brow. "Did you write those?" She nodded emphatically and hugged the papers tightly. "I thought you didn't write." Harmony tucked them under one arm and scribbled on some blank sheet music. "Not until last night thanks to us?"

"Oi," Sanji called from the galley door. "Don't you bastards know when to quit? Leave her alone."

The swordsman squinted up at him. "Moron, I don't want anything from her, unlike you."

"Wh… what!" Sanji choked. "_I_ am a _gentleman_, unlike _you_!"

Harmony tried to wave her hands to say she was alright, but the men weren't listening.

"Listen loverboy, you're the scumbag, not me!"

"I don't care what your intentions are. Leave the poor girl alone, piece of shit swordsman!"

Harmony's wild gesticulations were doing no good to ease their harsh words. Finally, she took a deep breath and shouted. "_Please, don't fight_!" she urged, surprising them with the power of her voice. It was much deeper and clearer than Sanji had imagined it would be for such a young and slight person.

"Ah! Ojou-sama! You spoke!" he cheered. Zoro opened his mouth to continue to shout at Sanji. His lips moved, but nothing came out. "Hm? What's the matter, Marimo? Cat got your tongue?"

"I'm so sorry!" the girl cried and ran into the cabin. The door slammed behind her.

Sanji turned his attention to Zoro who was flailing his arms. His face was bright red and his mouth was wide as if he was screaming, but not a sound came out. "…the hell is wrong with my voice? Oh. It's back," he said, relieved. He approached the galley. "What was that all about? First she can write songs, now she can talk?"

"I'm not sure _what_ just happened." Sanji narrowed his eyes. His anger towards Zoro was neutralized.

"What's going on? Does someone need a doctor!" Chopper asked as he emerged from boys' bunks. "I heard Zoro shouting."

"I'm ok, I guess. I just lost my voice for a minute."

"Chopper, could you examine Harmony-chan?" Sanji asked as Nami and Usopp came out to join them.

"Mou Sanji-kun," Nami groaned. "That's just gross. She's only thirteen."

His teeth clamped down on his cigarette. "That… that's not what I mean! Nami-san, even _you_ doubt me!" he wailed.

Zoro ignored him. "Why do you think she needs an exam? It was _my_ problem."

"Just a hunch. I think there's something weird happening to her."

Usopp rubbed his chin. "Saa, now that I think about it, when we were escaping, there was this other weird thing that happened. Miss Sairen asked me to cover my ears and then the bouncers who were after us just turned around and walked right through the big glass doors of the casino!"

Chopper looked around at his friends' concerned faces and nodded. "I'll make sure she's in good health. Leave it to me."

"She's in good health," Robin said coolly as she came out of the cabin. Harmony slowly followed. "May I tell the others?" The girl shadowed Robin and shook her head. "It's alright. Are you afraid they'll think less of you?" Harmony nodded. "That's silly. There are three of us like you already on board."

Everyone stared at the girl.

"Ohayo!" Luffy shouted in greeting, finally emerging from the cabin.

Robin grinned. "Observe." She crossed her arms over her chest. Three arms grew on the wall behind Luffy, reached out and held his left arm as he walked towards his friends. It stretched out. Before he could ask what she was doing, the arms let go and he snapped, flying forward towards Chopper who cried out in alarm and turned into the defensive Guard Point puff-ball. They rolled across the deck, colliding with the mast.

"The three of us have all eaten an Akuma no Mi," she explained to the awestruck Harmony. "The captain has eaten the GomuGomu fruit so his body has taken on the aspect of rubber. The doctor was a reindeer who ate the HitoHito fruit at took on the traits of a human and I have had the HanaHana fruit which allows me to grow my limbs on any surface. It seems that you have partaken of the YobuYobu fruit."

Nami raised a brow. "YobuYobu? So she can call things…?"

Usopp cocked his head to the side. "Aha! You can command things with your voice! That's why those goons walked away. You told them to, didn't you?"

Zoro nodded. "And she told me to stop fighting, so I couldn't talk anymore. That makes sense."

"So this means you can sing!" Luffy cheered. Harmony vigorously shook her head. "No?"

"I…" she whispered as quietly as she could, worrying her hands with her eyes glued to the deck. "My voice hurts people."

"It didn't hurt me, it just shut me up," Zoro noted coolly.

"It didn't hurt me when you apologized," Sanji agreed.

"It didn't hurt me when you told me your story," Robin reassured her. Harmony looked up at the older woman with large, amazed eyes.

Sanji approached them. "Maybe it's how you phrase it. Try it on me." Harmony shook her head. "Come on. Tell me to jump."

Chopper's eyes lit up. "Oh, I can't wait to see this!"

Everyone stared at the pink-haired girl.

Harmony hesitated then finally whispered. "J… jump."

Nothing happened.

"See?" Sanji said with a grin. "If you don't mean it, if you don't really want me to do something, it won't happen. Just like how Luffy doesn't always stretch when he reaches for something," he explained. Her shoulders relaxed a little. Sanji grinned wider. "Now come on, really make me jump!"

Harmony looked around to the others who nodded and encouraged her. "J…" she stuttered. "I can't. I don't want to make you do anything against your will."

Sanji smiled. "That's fine, just hearing your voice is amazing enough." The girl blushed.

"So you can sing!" Luffy cried again. "Let's sing, sing!" Usopp, Nami and Chopper agreed vociferously.

Robin put her hand reassuringly on Harmony's shoulder and smiled down on her. "Saa, Harmony-chan. Will you favor us with a song?"

She brushed grateful tears from her eyes and nodded. "I'll do my best. It's been a year…" she said quietly.

**.x.**

In the cabin only minutes before, Harmony collided with Robin as she ran away from Zoro and Sanji.

"Harmony-chan, are you alright?" The girl shook her head and tried to get around her, but Robin held her by the shoulders. "You're crying." She crouched down and looked up in to her eyes. "Come, now. What's the matter?"

"I don't want to hurt anyone again," she whispered.

"You spoke!" Robin gasped. She stared at the girl who shook slightly as tears rolled down her cheeks. "Would you like to talk about it?"

"My voice… It hurts people."

"How so? It's not hurting me right now."

"A year ago… I told someone to do… something. I was just joking. But they did it. They couldn't stop. And they… This person died," she whispered and sobbed. Robin put her arms around the girl and drew her into a hug.

"I understand that pain," she soothed her. "You never wanted to hurt them. It just happened. It's not something you'll ever feel good about, but you should get it out, else you won't want to go on at all." Harmony relaxed and cried into Robin's shoulder. "Besides, you have a lovely voice. You shouldn't hide it away from people." When she had composed herself, Robin stood and smiled. "Those boys must be worried about you. Let's go out and reassure them, shall we?"

Harmony hesitated. "Thank you, Robin Nee-chan."

Robin simply tilted her head to the side and smiled.__

More to come...


	6. Straw Hat Character Songs

**A Pirate's Life For Me! We Need A Musician!**

**Part 2 of a 4 Part Saga**

by Aoikami Sarah

**Chapter Six – Straw Hat Character Songs**

The crew gathered around the music box as Harmony cranked it up again. She closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. "Ok, I'll play that one," she said to no one in particular. A medium tempo beat introduced a lilting melody before she sang. When she did, the crew was awestruck at the power coming from such a small body.

"_Ah, under this sky where the stars rain down  
I etch this moment that will never come into my heart again"_

"_Aa hoshitachi ga furi sosogu kono sora no shita  
Nido to nai ima wo hora mune ni kizande"_

_  
"On the wings of a bird, free to fly anywhere_

_I will convey this endless dream of mine to you…"_

"_Dokomade mo habatakeru jiyuu na tori ni  
Kagiri nai yume wo nose kimi ni todoke ni yukou…"_

**.:o:.**From "Free Will" 9th Ending theme**.:o:.**

After breakfast, they gathered around the music box again and Harmony sang dozens of songs along with Nami, Luffy, Usopp and Chopper. Sanji, Zoro and Robin only listened as the others belted away.

"Ne, ne, Harmony!" Usopp called to the musician. "Who on the ship has the best voice?"

Harmony made a face. "I don't know…"

"Oh, come on, you can tell us," Nami coaxed her.

"Well, I haven't heard everyone sing yet," she replied and looked to Sanji, Robin and Zoro.

"Sounds like fun," Robin said with a smile.

"I'll give it a shot," Sanji agreed.

Everyone turned to Zoro. "Oh no. No way. Not me. I ain't gonna sing," the swordsman muttered. Their stares perforated him. "What!" he barked. Harmony giggled.

"Please, Mr. Swordsman?" Harmony pleaded, using the word 'swordsman' as she had heard Robin call him. "I'll try to think of a song you can sing that would be perfect for you, unless there's one you know well?"

Zoro shifted his weight from one foot to the other and played with the hilts of his swords. "I don't know any songs."

"What!" Luffy cried. "Not even one, Zoro!"

He glared at his captain. "Not _one_."

Harmony pounded her fist into her other palm. "Then I'll write you one!"

He blushed slightly. "That… That's not necessary!"

Luffy pouted. "That's not fair. Zoro, you're lucky."

"I'll write you one too, Captain Luffy." Soon, everyone was calling foul and Harmony had the daunting task of writing each crewmember a song to sing. "I wrote a half a dozen songs last night that I need lyrics for. It would be very helpful if each of you could help me write your song."

"Oh! This sounds like so much fun!" Chopper cried. "I wonder what mine will be about?"

"Who gets to go first?" Nami wondered.

"Not me. I still have to make you bastards breakfast," Sanji said. Harmony was starting to understand the way these friends treated each other.

"Since the captain wants a song so badly, why doesn't he go first?" Robin suggested.

"Yay! Me first!" he crowed. "I want a super cool song!"

Harmony laughed. "Something high-spirited, just like you." She flipped through the pages of sheet music she had written the night before. "Ah, this one." She let him look over the notes that made no sense to him as she played the music for him. "That's the general idea. Now what should it be about?"

"Me!" Luffy grinned.

It took about an hour to hammer out the lyrics of Luffy's song, mostly supplied by Luffy and made to sound better by Harmony. After breakfast, the crew assembled for its debut.

_Wanted! Wanted! The best nakama in the world! _

_Wanted! Wanted! The greatest feeling in the world! _

_Wanted! Wanted! Sekai jyuu no nakama tachi! _

_Wanted! Wanted! Sekai ichi no iikanji! _

_Who the hell are you? _

_I'm Monkey D. Luffy!_

_I'm the man who will be the pirate king! _

_Omae dareda? _

_Ore, Monkey D. Luffy _

_Kaizokuoo ni naru ottoko!_

**.:o:.**From "Wanted", Luffy character vocal song**.:o:.**

Everyone was very impressed with how well it came out. "Let me guess," Sanji teased his captain. "It's called 'Wanted'?" Luffy stuck his tongue out at him, but was too delighted to bother with being insulted.

Nami handed out paper and pens to everyone and they all worked on lyrics for their songs. Harmony played the tunes for them as they wrote: a soft, somber one, a brash loud one almost as loud as "Wanted", a mysterious ethnic sounding one, a poppy fun one, a tropical bouncy one. She seemed capable of writing songs in any style imaginable.

"Ooh, I really like that one," Nami said of the poppy one.

"Ok, that one can be yours then," Harmony took a look at the lyrics Nami was working on. "So it's a weather themed song? Wow, I really like the imagery!"

"Hear that," Nami leaned over to Usopp. "She likes my imagery."

"Isn't that nice for you?" he said out of the corner of his mouth. "My song is going to be about the pride of the Great Captain Usopp!" he declared.

"What about yours, Sanji-kun?" Nami asked.

"Well, I suppose it should be about cooking…" he said, lighting a cigarette. His paper was blank. "But I'm a lover, not a writer."

Nami rolled her eyes. "Any luck, Chopper?"

"I'm a doctor, not a writer!" he mimicked Sanji.

Harmony giggled. "That's alright. I think I can write you one, Doctor. How about you, Mr. Swordsman?"

No one was surprised to find that Zoro was sleeping. Luffy pounced on him. "Come on, Zoro! Write a cool song!"

"Ah! Leave me alone!" he cried and pushed him away. "You are way too energetic." HHH

Harmony smiled and scribbled something down on a blank page. "That's good," she said to herself. "That's really good…"

"Here you are," Robin said and handed Harmony her paper. "It's not very good, but I think it's a start."

"My never-ending search for the truth…" Harmony read aloud. "Real… Po… Negryph?"

"I'm sorry it's not very melodic."

Harmony shook her head. "It's fine. I think I have just the tune for it. I was going to try to work Mr. Swordsman's song around it, but I'll find him another."

"Suit yourself," he said yawning. "I can't sing anyway."

"Everyone can sing," Harmony stated seriously. "Even the tone-deaf can sing. It doesn't matter how well you do it, just so long as you put your heart into it."

"That sounded like lyrics right there," Sanji commented.

"Sorry, I tend to do that," Harmony said.

"Can you use your Akuma no Mi ability while you're singing?" Usopp asked.

Harmony clenched her fists. "That I would never do." Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at her. "If my heart can't move people through my songs, I wouldn't force them to move. That would be cheating."

"We can attest to the power of your songs," Robin said. "They are quite moving."

"Yeah!" Luffy cheered. "We've got the best musician in the whole world!" Everyone agreed.__

More to come...


	7. More Songs On The Way To The Straights

**A Pirate's Life For Me! We Need A Musician!**

**Part 2 of a 4 Part Saga**

by Aoikami Sarah

**Chapter Seven – More Songs On The Way To The Straights**

A ship only a little larger than the Going Merry and about fifty times as elegant cruised along just far enough behind to keep an eye on its quarry. A large frogman took the telescope from his eye and bellowed to his captain.

"Pirates ahead! Straw Hat Jolly Roger!"

"Excellent!" Kerodo Clef replied. "Keep at this distance. That Rubberman is dangerous!"

"We gonna get 'em back, Boss?" another goon asked his employer.

"Oh yes. They'll pay for stealing my act and burning down my casino! What have they got against me, anyway?" he whined. "It's not fair!" His goons sobbed in agreement. Clef squinted in the bright sunshine. His tuxedo looked incredibly out of place on the high seas. "We should reach the Straights in three days. We've got to catch them before they clear the twin islands or Lilly Marlene-sama will have our heads!"

**.X.**

After dinner on their third day out of Largo Atoll, heading for the Straights of Crescendo, the Straw Hat crew gathered for the premier of four more songs. Nami was nervous, but proud and excited to sing her song. Harmony cranked up the music box and nodded to the master of ceremonies.

"Ok, guys. Prepare to be blown away by the Grand Line's latest pop idol!" Usopp announced. "Put your hands together for Nami!"

"_Between the wind_

_I can still remember your strength,"_

"_Between the wind_

_Oboetei you kimi no tsuyosa wo,"_

"_Between the wind_

_I will send a letter with no address _

_My kiss changes into the connection of my message!"_

"_Between the wind_

_Atena no nai tegami wo okuru yo_

_Kiss wo kawarimi tsuteete my message!"_

**.:o:.**From "Between the Wind" Nami character vocal song**.:o:.**

"I'm in love!" Sanji swooned.

"What else is new?" Zoro jabbed as he applauded.

"Make Zoro go next!" Sanji shouted.

"Oh, ok," Harmony agreed and shuffled the sheet music around. "We worked practically all day on this. Are you ready, Mr. Swordsman?"

"Wha…!" He looked ready to kill Sanji, but was defeated by Harmony's encouraging smile.

"Do you want to rehearse one more time?"

"My voice isn't any good, it won't matter."

"You just need confidence," she advised. "Think of it like you think of your bushido and you will excel."

Zoro blinked at her. "Oh. Ok."

"_A flower under the moon, a tear drop_

_Sadness for someone is blown away…"_

"_Gekka no hana tsuyu no shizuku_

_Kanashimi wa ta ga tameni fuki areru..."_

"_They saw their dreams, the men who_

_Without a map hurry down their paths_

_This parting ship might be an illusion…_

_But the sure thing is here in front of us."_

"_Yume wo mita otoko tachi wa_

_Chizu ni nai michi wo isogu_

_Kono fune ga tadoritsuku no wa maboroshi datoshitemo..._

_Koko ni aru no wa tashika na mono."_

**.:o:.**From "Eyes of Zoro" Zoro character vocal song**.:o:.**

Luffy shouted and whistled and carried on. "Woo! Zoro's song is so totally cool!"

The swordsman simply grumbled and rubbed the back of his neck as he resumed his place in the audience. His cheeks held a slight blush that was imperceptible in the dying light.

"Ok! Chopper you're up!"

"What!" he cried in alarm. "Me, already? Can't I go last?"

"No way, I'm going last!" Usopp argued, his knees shaking. "Because I am the headliner!"

"Bullshit, you've got stage fright," Zoro pointed out.

"That may be! But I'm still going last, right Miss Sairen?"

"That's probably best," she agreed.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked.

"Your song has a bigger finish than the Doctor's."

"Oh, right. Sure," he laughed. "Ladies and Gentlemen, I present Dr. Tony Tony Chopper singing his song, 'Present'!"

"_A medicine that heals the heart_

_Even though you're happy,_

_You shed a tear without thinking"_

"_Kokoro ni kiku kusuri_

_Ureshii kuse ni_

_Omowazu borori"_

"_From me to you, from you to a friend_

_From one nakama to another, give presents! _

_Give presents! Wai wai!"_

"_Ore kara kimi e, kimi kara tomo e_

_Nakama kara nakama e, present wo okurou_

_Present wo okurou! Wai Wai!"_

**.:o:.**From "Present" Tony Tony Chopper song**.:o:.**

"I think I'm dying of cute!" Nami squealed and hugged Chopper.

"You're dying! Do you need a Doctor? Oh, wait. I am a doctor."

Usopp cleared his throat. "Yes, yes. The little reindeer boy is very cute. But you haven't seen anything till the great Captain Usopp has rocked your socks off!"

Sanji held his hand over his eyes as if to shade the moonlight that shone down on them. "I'm looking, but I don't see anything," he teased.

"Get on with it!" Zoro cheered, raising a bottle of rum in the air for emphasis.

"_There's a time when a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do._

_Like when his ship's been battered._

_Without this girl, we won't get anywhere._

_So I'm gonna fix her up!_

_King of Coveralls!"_

"_Otoko ni wa yaranakya naranai toki ga aru_

_Tatoeba fune ga yarareta toki sa_

_Koitsu ga inakucha hajimaranai_

_Dakara ore ga naosu made_

_King of Caba-o-ru!"_

"_That's the glorious path of a man!_

_That's a way of living._

_People call me the Shadow Captain..._

_Captain Usopp!"_

"_Sore ga otoko no hanamichi!_

_Sore ga ikiru michi_


	8. Robin’s Song

**A Pirate's Life For Me! We Need A Musician!**

**Part 2 of a 4 Part Saga**

by Aoikami Sarah

**Chapter Eight – Robin's Song**

The following morning, Luffy and company were at it again. They begged Harmony to play for them. When she hesitated to answer, Nami put her hands on her hips and assessed the situation.

"You guys, the poor girl hasn't had a moment to herself since she came on board! Give it a rest!"

"But she's our musician!" Luffy argued. "Don't you want to play for us?"

Harmony wove her fingers into one of her curly pink bangs. "It's not that I don't want to play…"

"Why did you decide to join us, Ojou-sama?" Sanji asked as he took off his pink Doskoi Panda apron.

"I wanted to get away from the casino," she said quietly and held out her hands. "Don't get me wrong, I love to perform but they wouldn't let me decide when I wanted to. And when I told them I wanted to leave, they threatened to destroy my music box," she admitted.

Sanji opened a fresh pack of cigarettes. "Is being here any better?" he asked, tapping the pack against his palm to pack the tobacco down.

"It's different here, that's for certain. It's fun…"

"But you're still not free," Robin added quietly. Luffy stared at the girl intensely from under the brim of his straw hat. He took a deep breath, but said nothing.

Harmony worried her hands. "I just want to have some time with Vincento to myself, that's all. I'm sorry."

Robin's eyes grew wide. "Vincento…?" she whispered.

"Vincento?" Usopp asked. "Who's that?"

Harmony put her hand over her mouth.

"Do you mean that the music box has a name?" Robin asked, calmly.

"Ah, yes!" Harmony answered quickly. "Just a funny name I gave him. He's like a friend to me."

"Leave her alone," Luffy commanded, changing the subject. "Let her do what she wants to do." To Usopp and Chopper's surprise their captain wrapped his arms around them and dragged them out of the galley.

"Thank you, Captain Luffy," Harmony said with a bow. Robin followed her out of doorway and watched her as she went to the waiting box. She unbuckled its straps and opened it up. The bellows filled with air and the box hummed happily. "Ok, Vincento," Harmony whispered. "Let's work together, shall we?" She pulled out a knob and pushed three blue keys down. Her fingers touched the black and white keys and the sound of real piano issued forth. Robin leaned against the main mast and listened as Harmony picked out the melody, a somber yet sweet lilting phrase that left the older woman with a lump in her throat. She decided to find her deck chair and listen for as long as Harmony played.

**.X. Flashback**

Harmony peered out from behind the box into the darkness. Deep in the hold of a merchant vessel bobbing on the tide, the eight year old was too frightened to blink.

"Daddy?" she whispered. A man's form in the darkness turned and pressed his finger to lips. The gesture was not reassuring. Overhead, footsteps ran over the deck and closed in on them.

"Stay here, Harmony," his voice urged. "Whatever happens, stay close to Vincent.

"But, Daddy…!" she protested. The footsteps stopped.

"Richard Sairen!" a gruff voice bellowed from above. "We know you're in there. Come out!"

"Stay here," her father said again with short, rapid words. His voice was even and calm. He was ready. "Stay quiet and they won't find you. Take care of Vincent." He stood up and went to a rope-ladder hanging from the hatch. "I love you, Sweetheart."

Terrified beyond the ability to speak, Harmony watched her father's silhouette walk to the ladder.

Ever how much she tried, even five years later, she couldn't remember the events that happened next. They resided only in her nightmares, somehow fortunately erased from her conscious mind. The next thing she knew, a strange, pale-skinned woman with purplish tentacles for hair was wrapping her in a blanket and carrying her off the ship. "Daddy… Vincento…" she whispered. The shapes of four large men carried the box in front of her.

"Don't worry, Dear," Lilly Marlene soothed. "Your instrument is safe. We'll take care of you both."

**.X. End Flashback**

Before lunch, Robin looked up as the music stopped. Harmony was looking over her shoulder at the mandarin orange trees on the upper deck where Sanji twirled around Nami barraging her with pleasantries. She caught Robin's eye and quickly turned back around. Of the two tunes she seemed to have been working on all morning, Harmony switched to the more somber one. "Robin Nee-chan, I think I finished your song," she called.

"Oh?" The older woman got up and stood next to the girl. Her fingers gently touched the keys and her eyes closed.

"_Even in this place_

_Like a drop_

_Time falls_

_Silent history begins"_

"_Kono basho ni mo_

_Shizuku no you ni_

_Toki ga ochite_

_Shizuka ni rekishi hajimatte yuku"_

"_Real Ponegryph is my_

_Ongoing, never-ending search for the truth_

_My real life is spun into_

_The very corner of the great halls of time"_

"_Riopo-negurifu watashi no_

_Eien ni tsuzuku shinjitsu sagashitai_

_My real life tsumugarateyuku_

_Ooinaru toki no katasumide"_

**.:o:.**From "My Real Life" Nico Robin character vocal song**.:o:.__**

_More to come..._


	9. Vivace Rondo

**A Pirate's Life For Me! We Need A Musician!**

**Part 2 of a 4 Part Saga**

by Aoikami Sarah

**Chapter Nine – Vivace Rondo**

Later up in the crow's nest, Usopp adjusted his goggles. "Ship ahoy!" he called down to the crew. "Single mast!"

Luffy leaned forward on his perch on the figurehead. "Ho! Is it a pirate?"

Zoro turned his attention from lifting weights and squinted into the horizon. "Is it Mihawk!" he shouted up to Usopp.

He flipped the goggles back down again. "Nope. I'd recognize that weirdo's ship. This one is… is…" he stood up. "It's sinking!"

"That's weird…" Zoro muttered, disappointed. Soon, the Going Merry caught up to the area in which they had spotted the little ship. There was no trace of it. Nami, wearing a bikini top and shorts, leaned over the side. "Are you sure you saw something, Usopp? It's awfully hot. You might have seen a mirage."

Usopp shrugged. "Then it was a pretty convincing mirage."

Harmony leaned over the starboard side and peered into the churning water. "Oh! There's something over here!" Nami and Luffy joined her. Bobbing along and just about to pass them was a translucent sphere about five feet in diameter with a woman curled up in the fetal position inside of it.

"Oho! Lookit that! It's a lady in a bubble!" Without hesitation, Luffy stretched out and grabbed it.

"Luffy! Don't bring that thing on board!" Nami barked.

"Why not? It's funny looking!"

"Ugh, you're too impetuous! What if it's an enemy?" She tried to advise him, but the bubble was already on deck. Harmony approached it cautiously, hiding behind Nami. Luffy poked at it but it didn't break. Usopp climbed down out of the crows nest and hid behind Harmony. She looked up at him strangely.

"Nami-swan! Robin-chwan! Ojou-chama! Lunch is ready!" Sanji sang as he emerged from the galley. His eyes gravitated to what the others were investigating. "Ah! A beauty in a bubble! The Grand Line is truly wonderful!" His eyes became hearts and he jumped down to join them. To his horror, Zoro drew his sword poked the bubble from a safe distance. "Oi! Marimo! Don't you dare harm a lady!"

Zoro caught Sanji's foot with one hand and ignored his outburst. "I'm just trying to pop it. Looks like she's sick." The tip of the Wado Ichimonji pressed into the bubble, but whatever it was made of, it didn't break. "Eh?" Zoro looked at the tip of his sword, wondering if there was something wrong with it. He sneered. "Ok, stupid bubble. I'll cut you!"

"You won't be able to," Robin's cool voice soothed as she joined the others. Chopper followed her. "That is most likely an Akuma no Mi ability."

"Coooool!" Luffy cheered and started to poke it more fervently. Nami smacked him. "What was that for!"

"If it's an Akuma no Mi, she's probably _really_ an enemy!"

"But I want to pop it!"

"No!"

"But I wanna!"

"No!"

Chopper poked his head out from behind Usopp who was behind Harmony. "Zoro's right, she looks sick."

"Sick or no, we should be careful," Nami advised and swatted at Luffy's hands as he tried to get at the bubble. Suddenly, with a strange pinging sort of sound, the bubble popped on its own and the blond haired woman inside was exposed. She wore green shorts, a white and orange sleeveless shirt and knee-high orange go-go boots. She breathed shallow breaths and remained motionless on the deck. Chopper scooted around Usopp and examined her. "She's alright. Just exhausted."

"Ah! Thank goodness!" Sanji cried. He and Chopper carried the woman inside and tended to her. Harmony pouted and worried her hands.

"You have a bad feeling about this too, don't you?" Nami asked the girl. She nodded.

Zoro shrugged and went back to his weights.

It wasn't long before a commotion from inside drew their attention. Usopp, Nami, Harmony and Zoro looked in the doorway at the scene. Sanji seemed to be steaming with the smoke from his cigarette curled up around his rapidly reddening face. Chopper had leapt back and was attempting to hide in the wrong direction behind a barrel. Luffy stood with his eyes wide as saucers in the tight embrace of the bubble woman.

"You _saved_ me!" she cried. "Oh, thank you so much, I owe you my life!"

"Take your hands off of her!" Sanji bellowed.

"Take your hands off of him!" Nami cried.

Luffy simply laughed. "You're really weird!" he commented. "Who the heck are you?"

"Weird?" she asked, blinked a few times, released Luffy and scanned the room. Her eyes fell on each face before she spoke again. "TamaTama no Mi user, Vivace Rondo at your service!" she said with a grin

Luffy thrust his fists over his head. "Ha! Robin was right! Cool!"

Vivace's eyes flicked over to the tall, dark haired woman who leaned casually in the doorway.

"What were you doing floating around on the Grand Line alone?" Nami asked, putting her hands on her hips.

"Oh, I had a little boat, but it sort of sank."

"Sort of?" Usopp raised a brow. "It totally sunk. I saw it."

"Fuu. I liked that boat." She pouted. "I know I don't owe you anything, but could I get a ride to the Straights?"

"Sure! That's where we're going, right Nami?" Luffy said with a grin.

"Luffy, we can't trust her just because…"

"Luffy?" Vivace cried and stared at the young man. She cocked her head to the side. "Oh, my! You do look alike, even without the freckles! Oh! I'm so happy. I never thought I'd get to meet my brother!"

Everyone exclaimed a loud 'eh!' at this statement. "Luffy, you've got a sister?" Chopper asked.

"No. I don't. Who _are_ you?" he asked plainly.

"I'm Portgas D. Ace-san's fiancée!"

"EH!"

**.X.**

A thick fog obscured vision to no more than one hundred feet ahead. Kerodo Clef's large, ornate ship moved slowly along, following the log pose toward the Straits of Crescendo.

"Boss?" one of his bouncers asked after growing bored of staring into the white. "What if we lose them?"

Clef rolled his eyes. "We can't lose them. They're going where we're going." He turned around, deciding to take a nap rather than listen to his simple-minded servants' inane questions. "Besides, just listen. Can't you hear them?" he said with a flip of his wrist.

"I thought that was the Siren!" one of the more nervous frog men cried.

"The Siren!" Clef laughed. "Did you have a brain tumor for breakfast? If we could hear the Siren's song we'd be as good as dead by now." He turned his ear toward the fog to make certain and grinned. "No, boys, that's too sweet a song to be the Siren. That's Harmony. If you're so worried about the Siren, stay on the boat when we get to the Straights."

A few of the frog men nodded, slightly reassured, but kept their beady eyes on the opaque fog.__

More to come...


	10. Vivace Comes In Handy

**A Pirate's Life For Me! We Need A Musician!**

**Part 2 of a 4 Part Saga**

by Aoikami Sarah

**Chapter Ten - Vivace Comes In Handy**

Zoro kept an eye on the vivacious blond woman as she emerged from the cabin. She stretched her arms over her head and made a comment about the fog.

"Don't change the subject!" Nami shouted, rubbing her arms against the sudden drop in temperature. "You're Ace's fiancée! How is that possible?"

"Engaged! Say it isn't so, Tama-chan!" Sanji moaned, earning a casual smack from Nami.

"Yeah!" Usopp added, still wary of the bubble-born woman. "He never said anything about you when we saw him in Arubasta!"

"You saw him?" Vivace asked. "When?"

"Just under a month ago," Nami said, putting her hands on her hips.

"Oh… Well…" Vivace frowned. "We're not really… I mean… he's such a sweetheart…" She sighed. "You want the whole story, huh?"

"Please," Nami and Usopp said, narrowing their eyes at her.

Vivace hugged herself. She ran her right hand over a bandage wrapped around her upper left arm. "Well, he was running away from some marines and I sort of helped," she said, idly making tiny bubbles that Luffy and Chopper played with, gleefully. "And when we were about to part ways, he said thank you and 'if there's anything I can do to repay you, name it'." She sighed again and laughed loudly. "So I said 'marry me'!"

"She's totally nuts," Usopp whispered to Nami, who nodded in agreement.

Vivace didn't seem to hear him. "He had to leave, but I got bored waiting for him to return to make good on his promise so I decided to go looking for him, but I sort of suck at sailing."

Nami made a face. "Well, you can't sail with us. We're wanted pirates, you know!"

"Oh, I know!" She glowed. "As expected of Portgas-san's little brother!"

Luffy beamed. "Cool! I've got a sister!"

"No, you don't!" Nami shouted. "She's not married to him yet."

"Aw, come on, Nami. She's funny. Let's keep her," he pouted and made puppy-dog eyes at his navigator.

Nami slumped her shoulders. "We'll take you to the Straights, but after that you're on your own."

"Oh, I'm so happy I could sing!"

"Do you sing, Vivace-san?" Chopper asked.

"I sure do, Fuzzy!" she said brightly.

"Alright!" Luffy cheered. "Let's sing!"

Zoro narrowed his eyes and watched them as they moved to the bow. He noticed Robin and Harmony hung back. "This boat is getting overrun by females," he muttered and found a spot to stretch out for a nap.

Robin looked down at Harmony. "Saa, you should probably just give them what they want for now, Harmony-chan."

She looked up at the tall woman. "How do you know what I'm thinking, Robin Nee-chan?"

"I think you and I are very similar," she said with a smile. "I've found it's often easier to entertain them than to try to hide. Shall we?"

Robin stood close to Zoro and watched with her usual placid face, but studied their new guest closely. Harmony opened the music box she called Vincento and asked Vivace what she'd like to sing.

"Until recently I was a lounge singer," Vivace informed the Straw Hat pirates. "How bout a fun little tune called "Souchi no Suke? Know that one, Kiddo?" she asked Harmony who nodded meekly. She geared the music box up and the sound of a guitar and organ issued forth. Vivace swayed back and forth as she sang, shaking her hips and winking at the men in the audience.

Harmony played well into the night for the crew and the boisterous blond lounge singer. Vivace flopped down into a chair next to Nami and fanned herself after a long set of songs.

"So," Vivace said, with her eyes closed. "You guys are going to the straights?"

Chopper nodded. "That's the only calm way through, right Nami?"

She shot him an evil look. "Yes. We are."

Vivace pouted playfully. "Oh, come on Miss Navigator! What's it gonna take to convince you I'm not out to get you?" Harmony finished an instrumental song and sat down on the end of Robin's deck chair. Vivace made a string of bubbles that looked like a pearl necklace and tried to ring it around Nami's neck.

Nami swatted it away. "I won't relax until we've deposited you at the straights and are well on our way to the next island."

"Oh, but I've got to repay you for your inconvenience!"

"Re_pay_…?" Nami asked, her interest piqued.

"Well, yeah! I can get you guys in for free to a Lilly Marlene show!"

Harmony gasped and her dark complexion turned pale.

"A Lilly what?" Zoro asked, raising a suspicious brow.

"Sounds cool!" Luffy cheered.

"You've never heard of Lilly Marlene!" Vivace shouted. "She's only the biggest singing star on the Grand Line!"

"Wow! Even bigger than Harmony!" Chopper cried.

Harmony was speechless.

"Oh, I'm sure in her little part of the world Harmony's famous, but there's not an island that's not heard the name Lilly Marlene," Vivace bragged, waving her hand around. "I happen to know someone who works for her and I can get you all in for free!" Zoro and Nami looked unconvinced. "The tickets are usually 400 Berrie a piece and I can get you all free drinks, too."

Zoro shrugged. "Sounds ok."

"Yes," Robin agreed coolly. "That sounds like fun, doesn't it Harmony-chan?" she said, staring at Vivace. Before the girl could answer, Usopp called down from the crow's nest.

"Hey guys! Massive sea king coming up behind us!"

Immediately, the crew sprang into action. Nami shouted for Luffy to run to the stern and prepare to punch it if need be. He sprinted to the rear of the ship, followed closely by Vivace. "Allow me to help, Little Brother!" The sea king was yellow and covered in spines. It noticed the little ship and suddenly inflated, becoming three times larger and its spines loomed ominously as they approached it.

"Waaaaaaa! Looks like a huge fugu!" Luffy shouted. "Sanji! Can we eat it!"

"If we get any closer those spines will perforate the ship!" he replied.

Vivace stood at the very lip of the stern and put her arms out in front of her with the base of her palms together. "Bolla Enorme!" she called and a bubble formed and shot out from her hands. It grew as it rocketed toward the puffer-sea king. In moments, the bubble surrounded it. "Little Brother," she said to Luffy with a wide grin. "You can safely clear him away now."

"Ok! Gomu Gomu no!" he agreed and stretched back his arm. "Bazooka!" His fist connected with the surface of the bubble and punched it and the sea king into the distant horizon. "That was cool!" Luffy cheered. "You should join our crew!"

Vivace laughed loudly. "I'd love to, kiddo but I have to find your brother yet."

"Guys!" Usopp shouted down again.

"Oh, what now!" Nami moaned.

"Land ho!"

Everyone turned toward the bow. Luffy raced toward his favorite perch on top of the figurehead. "Wahoo! Looks like people!" he pointed at the craggy shapes on the horizon which did have the appearance of two human figures facing each other across a stretch of calm sea.

"The Straights of Crescendo, I presume?" Robin asked. Harmony nodded, still looking a little under the weather.

"The twin islands of Dehavala and Lee, the gateway to the west," Vivace said. "Miss Navigator, you can harbor on the northern island, Dehavala. That's where Lilly Marlene has her nightclub. I'll treat you all to a big dinner!"

"Yay, food!" Luffy cheered.

A few nautical miles behind the Going Merry, just out of sight, Kerodo Clef emerged from his cabin and opened his mouth to comment on the nice weather they were having. Pleasantries were replaced with profanities as he saw the gigantic bubble-coated puffer descend from the sky towards his ship.


	11. The Straights Of Crescendo

**A Pirate's Life For Me! We Need A Musician!**

**Part 2 of a 4 Part Saga**

by Aoikami Sarah

**Chapter Eleven – The Straights Of Crescendo**

If Largo was flashy and bustling, Dehavala was elegant and refined. The shops sold only the most expensive jewelry, haute couture apparel, and gourmet foods. Most of the crew appeared to be incredibly impressed by everything. They walked up the pristine streets toward the main attraction: the White Lilly, a building that seemed to be a hotel but looked more like a castle.

"Whoa!" Chopper ogled it. "Who lives there!"

Vivace grinned from ear to ear, thoroughly pleased to play tour guide. "That's the White Lilly," she explained. "The palace of the Siren and the venue that Lilly Marlene plays at."

"So coooool!" Luffy cried.

"Siren?" Usopp asked. "What kind of a title for a ruler is that?"

"You guys aren't from around here, are you?" Vivace asked, raising a brow. "You know, a 'siren': a being that can control people with its voice?" She didn't notice the Straw Hat pirates all straighten up at the mention of such an ability. Harmony turned even paler. "The Siren controls the traffic that goes through the straights. Every vessel has to pay a tax. Rumor has it that anyone who defies the Siren ends up becoming a slave of the Siren Song," she said with a sinister grin. "But no one even knows who the Siren is, so it might not be true."

Usopp let out a sigh. "Sheeesh! You scared the crap outta me with that story!"

Luffy laughed at him. "This Siren person sounds like a bad guy. Don't worry, Usopp. I won't let him make you guys into slaves."

Zoro rolled his eyes. "I think he's more worried about _you_, dingus."

Robin stopped walking and took Harmony's hand. "Everyone, Harmony and I are going to go shopping. We'll meet you at the palace a little later, ok?"

"Oh," Vivace said, a bit disappointed. "Ok. See ya later!" She waved enthusiastically and she and the Straw Hats continued on to the palace.

"Robin Nee-chan…" Harmony began. "How do you always know what I'm thinking?"

Robin smiled. "You looked like you were going to be ill at the mention of this Lilly person. I take it you know her?"

Harmony worried her hands. "I… No. I don't."

Robin didn't look convinced. "Alright. What would you like to do?"

Without hesitation, she answered, "I want to go back to…" Harmony caught herself. "To my music box."

"You mean, to Vincent?" the archaeologist asked. Harmony's eyes went wide but she stared at the ground. "Don't worry. I believe I am the only living person who has any idea why that box of yours is called Vincent." Again, Robin smiled and put her hand on the girl's head. "I'm not interested in _that_ legacy. As you know, my life's quest is for the Real Ponegryph. And there's nothing on this Earth that would entice me to tell anyone about your beloved music machine."

Harmony's eyes watered and she flung her arms around Robin. "Thank you, Robin Nee-chan!"

"Come on. I'll take you back to the Going Merry and wait with you till the others are done with the show."

**.x.**

"Wow! Fancy place!" Luffy cried as Vivace showed them into the palace. She nodded to guards who recognized her and let them pass into a waiting room decorated with red velvet curtains and gilt carvings representing the sea spiraling up to a vaulted ceiling. The ceiling was masterfully painted with clouds and birds.

"This place is too much," Nami whispered. "The Siren must be loaded!"

"Oh yeah," Vivace drawled. "The money comes from all the taxes on the ships that have to pass through the straights."

"Sort of sucks that it all goes to one person," Sanji commented.

Vivace shrugged. She approached two guards standing in front of a pair of huge doors and whispered something to them. "Sit tight, guys. I'm gonna see if Lilly Marlene will see you for a special private show!" She waved, smiled and ducked inside the doors.

"Special private show?" Zoro asked and put his hand on the hilts of his swords.

"Yeah, pretty odd treatment for strangers," Sanji agreed.

"Yay, special show!" Luffy, Usopp and Chopper cheered.

**.x.**

Vivace closed the doors behind her and her glowing smile fell. She took a deep breath before turning and facing the vast room she had entered. On a throne at the far end sat Lilly Marlene. She cocked her head to the side slightly, making her tentacle-hair shimmer in the sunlight streaming through tall stained-glass windows behind her. Vivian and Olivia stood at either side of her and fanned her with large ostrich plumes.

"Well, well," Lilly cooed. "Look what the cat puked up." She narrowed her eyes. "Where's Harmony?"

Vivace bowed and hid her grimace. "She's here on Dehavala."

"You try my patience, my dear. Why is she not _here_?"

"I would have had her _here_, but one of the pirates took her shopping. I didn't want to arouse their suspicions..."

"What the hell do I keep you around for?" Lilly growled. "With your talents, you should have been able to get her to me easily!"

Vivace balled her fists. "I would have if the pirates weren't so strong. She's traveling with the Straw Hat pirates. They're all here, right outside these doors. They have three Akuma no Mi users, including their captain, Monkey D. Luffy who is currently worth 100 million Berrie!"

"Excuses, excuses," Lilly uncrossed and re-crossed her long legs. "Harmony has been out of my influence for far too long." She cleared her throat and the next phrase that came out of her mouth seemed as if it were sung, but also seemed to be broadcast from every wall. "_Bring her to me, now_."

Vivace stood at attention. Her eyes seemed a little less bright than they had been a moment ago. "Yes, Lilly Marlene-sama," she agreed and exited the room via a hidden door on the right.

Lilly yawned. "Olivia," she called to the dark-haired woman on the right who bowed. "Show these pirates in. I want to be entertained."__

More to come...


	12. Straw Hat Vs Straw Hat

**A Pirate's Life For Me! We Need A Musician!**

**Part 2 of a 4 Part Saga**

by Aoikami Sarah

**Chapter Twelve – Straw Hat Vs. Straw Hat**

Harmony went straight to the music box with her arms outstretched. "I'm sorry, Vincento!" she cried and embraced its wooden sides. "I should have listened to you."

"It speaks to you?" Robin asked.

Harmony nodded. "Sort of. It's like he gives me ideas or feelings. I don't hear words or anything. He said coming here was a bad idea."

"Amazing." She sat down on her deck chair. "Harmony, did you know the Captain of this ship is in search of One Piece?"

She turned and shook her head. "No. Is that the Pirate King's treasure?" she asked.

Robin's mouth hung open for a second. "Yes. It is." She stared at the box. "My goodness, to think a piece is so close…" she muttered under her breath.

"Hm?"

"Oh, nothing." Robin smiled. "So how do you know Lilly Marlene?"

Harmony frowned and jumped up onto the top of the music box. She kicked her feet, gently tapping out a rhythm against it. She sighed. "Can I trust her, Vincento?" A small smile spread across her lips. "Ok. Vincento says I should tell you about me. That you're good for me."

Robin smiled back. "Please do. I'm a good listener at least."

Harmony looked up at the clouds that ambled across the sky. "I was born on an island called Sofserv that's so small it hardly picks up on a Logue Pose. My dad was a castaway. There's a law that says only 20 people at a time can live on Sofserv."

"Why ever for?" Robin asked.

"Because it's so small. If there's more than 20, the island can't feed them. Dad was the twentieth when he landed. Then he married my mom and they had me. When I was born, the elder died. Dad used to say it's because he saw how amazing I was and gave me his place," she reminisced. "When I was eight, Dad took me and Vincento and left Sofserv because some bad people were looking for him."

"So Vincent belonged to your father," Robin assumed.

Harmony nodded. "We went to Largo Atoll and Dad left me with Vincento. I never saw him again. I know the bad men found him and killed him," she said quietly. "But I never knew why."

"Do you want to know?" Robin asked in the same hushed tone.

The girl's eyes widened and she stopped kicking at the box. "V… Vincento says I don't want to know. That I shouldn't know. That it's not _safe_ for me to know. That Dad was protecting me. That Vincento protects me for him. That if I knew, he wouldn't be able to protect me from… the truth." Tears rolled down her face. "My father wasn't a bad man… was he?" she asked.

"What does Vincento say?"

"No," she answered.

Robin smiled. "You should listen to Vincent."

**.X.**

The great doors swung open. Two guards bowed and showed Zoro, Nami, Usopp, Sanji, Chopper and Luffy in. More oohs and ahs issued from some of the impressed pirates. Zoro glanced at Sanji and narrowed his eyes. The chef nodded, confirming his ill-feelings. Something wasn't right.

"Greetings, pirates," a strong, smooth voice with a slight accent echoed off of the huge room's walls. "Vivace-chan said you were friends of hers." The pale-skinned jellyfish-woman stood up and walked down a set of steps from her throne to get a better look at them. "Thank you for transporting her back to her home. My name is Lilly Marlene. Welcome to the Straights of Crescendo."

"Wow! Vivace's friend was the singer! Cool!" Luffy cried.

"No problem," Nami said with a wave, ignoring him. "She _had_ mentioned something about compensation for the ride…"

"Of course! You will get what's coming to you. Tell me," Lilly drawled, walking a little to the left, looking over the six people before her. She towered a good six inches above even Zoro's head. "You're a bunch of pirates. You must have certain jobs on your boat. What are they?"

Luffy grinned wide and showed off his crew. "This is Zoro, greatest swordsman in the world, Chopper, a doctor, Sanji, five-star chef, Nami best navigator in the world and Usopp, a liar."

"I'm a marksman, jackass!"

Lilly raised a lavender brow. "And you?"

"I'm Monkey D. Luffy, the man who will be the Pirate King!"

"Isn't that cute," Lilly remarked, turned with a flip of her coat-tails and walked her long stockinged legs back up to her throne. She sat down and her assistants went back to fanning her. "_I'll take the chef, the swordsman and the navigator."_

"Take?" Usopp asked angrily. "Wha… whaddaya mean, take?"

"Yeah, waddayamean!" Luffy shouted.

Lilly sighed. "I don't have a use for the rest of you and frankly, you're not much to look at. I'll take those three, only. The rest of you can go."

"Listen, lady," Luffy said, balling his fists. "They're my nakama. You can't just have them!"

"Then you'll have to fight for them," Lilly said with a smirk. "Rather, you'll have to fight _them_." She tilted her head to the side. "_Zoro, Nami, Sanji. Kill your friends."_

Usopp screamed in terror as Nami's Clima Tact swung at his head.

"Heavy point!" Chopper cried and grew to his large size. "Guys! It's us!" he shouted as Sanji tried to kick his head off of his shoulders.

"Zoro!" Luffy called. "Sanji, Nami! Stop it!" He bent his body away from Zoro's three swords as he charged at his captain.

Lilly Marlene laughed. "Oh, splendid! What a show!" She watched with wide eyes as they fought each other, marveling at their skill and pain.

**.X.**

The breeze blew across the deck and played with Harmony's sausage-curl bangs. She wiped her eyes. "What of Lilly Marlene?" Robin asked, changing the subject.

Harmony jumped down off of the box and went to the side of the ship. "She appeared right after Dad didn't come back. She took me in. She became my mentor and got me a job performing at the G-Clef. She said she wanted me to be her successor." Harmony furrowed her brows. "I stayed with her for four years. Last year, all of a sudden my voice started hurting people, like I told you."

"Do you remember eating a strange fruit?" Robin asked. "Perhaps just before the power presented itself?"

Harmony shook her head slowly, trying to remember. Then she gasped. "There was a special dessert…" She clapped a hand to her mouth. "It was her! Lilly Marlene fed me the Akuma no Mi!"

"Bingo!" a voice from across the ship shouted. A bubble sprouted around Harmony. "Wow, you are really dense, you know that, Princess?" Vivace snarled as she strode toward them. "I can't believe Lilly Marlene-sama chose _you_ as her protégée over _me_! I mean, really! You didn't even know you'd been fed the YobuYobu no Mi? I would have _killed_ for that fruit! What did I get instead? The TamaTama no Mi. Nearly useless!" she complained. Harmony shouted in alarm, but her voice didn't penetrate the bubble. She could see Vivace gesturing, but couldn't hear a word she was saying. "It is useful for some things, though. Scream all you want. Not a sound can escape my special Insonorizzato Bolla, my soundproof bubble!"

Robin frowned and crossed her arms in front of her chest. Vivace grinned wide and a bluish bubble of protection shot out of her hands and engulfed herself. "So," Vivace purred. "You figured me out, huh, Lady? You took Harmony away just as I was about to deliver her peacefully to Lilly Marlene-sama."

"That bandage you wear on your arm," Robin stated. "I saw you changing it last night. It hides a very distinctive burn mark in the shape of a hand. Hi-ken no Ace is reported to be a complete gentleman. He wouldn't burn a friend, let along his own fiancée like that."

"Yes, yes, you're very smart. Shut up," Vivace warned.

"Let Harmony go," Robin commanded, still walking forward.

"Ooh, I'm so scared! You can't touch me when I'm in here," she said and poked the inside of the bubble. "Not even my darling Portgas-san could hurt me!"

Harmony hugged herself and cried, helpless and lost. "Robin Nee-chan…"

"I'll tell you one more time. Let Harmony-chan go. You can't win." Robin spread her fingers out. "Deux Fleur!"

"You can't touch me!" Vivace shouted back with a sneer.

"I already have."

Vivace hadn't noticed that an extra pair of arms had grown out of her shoulder blades long before she put the bubble up to protect herself.

Robin nodded her head. "Very well."

"Robin Nee-chan! Don't kill! Please!" Harmony shrieked. She hoped against hope that the woman could read lips. Robin twisted her wrists and the arms flew to action, clamping down on Vivace's neck. Harmony shielded her eyes and wept. After a long moment the bubble around her burst and she knew it was over. She knelt on the deck and covered her face with her hands. Robin's gentle touch startled her.

"It's alright, Harmony-chan. I left her alive." The girl peeked through her fingers and saw Vivace sprawled on the deck, obviously breathing. She looked up at the warm, caring smile and lunged into Robin's arms. "Saa. Be brave now, Harmony-chan. We probably have people to rescue."__

More to come...


	13. Harmony Vs Lilly

**A Pirate's Life For Me! We Need A Musician!**

**Part 2 of a 4 Part Saga**

by Aoikami Sarah

**Chapter Thirteen – Harmony Vs. Lilly**

Usopp ran around the perimeter of the room trying to avoid the electrical strikes generated by Nami's weapon of choice. All three of the Straw Hats under Lilly's Siren Song wore dour and unemotional faces. "Hold still, Usopp," Nami said plainly. "I can't kill you if you keep running around."

"That's the idea!" he shouted back. "What's come over you guys?"

Luffy grew tired of dodging Zoro and stretched his arms out behind him. "Gomu Gomu no…!" he called. "Straight Jacket!" The lengthened arms flew at Zoro and wrapped around him a few times. "Snap out of it, Zoro!" he commanded. "It's us! Don't fight us!"

Lilly laughed. "There's nothing you can do to stop them," she purred. "I am Lilly Marlene, The Siren!"

"The Siren!" Chopper and Usopp wailed. Luffy gritted his teeth. He was distracted again as Zoro growled and flexed, forcing Luffy's arms to stretch further and free him.

"I don't want to hurt you, Zoro," Luffy said seriously. "But if I have to knock you out, I will." He retracted his arms and frowned as Zoro put the Wado between his teeth. Unsheathing his two other prized swords, Zoro assumed a position and locked his eyes on his adversary.

Chopper blocked Sanji's kicks with his huge arms, but each one was so strong and jarring he was sure his bones wouldn't last another minute of abuse. "Sanji!" he cried. "Please stop!"

Usopp was getting tired of running. "Wait a second, I made the Clima Tact," he reasoned. "I can't get defeated by a weapon I made!" He turned and aimed his sling shot. "Take this, Tabasco Boshi!" The pellet filled with hot sauce met its mark, right between Nami's eyes. She cried out and dropped the weapon. "I'm sorry, Nami!" Usopp cried.

"Ah! My eyes!" she wailed. "Wait'll I get my hands on you!"

Usopp pulled a rope out of his bag. "I'm going to restrain those hands, thank you!" he said and while she was still blinded, tied her arms down to her sides.

Chopper and Luffy were not fairing as well against their opponents. Lilly continued to laugh. Her attention was rapt on the events unfolding in her little court. "What a marvelous show! What strange folk these pirates are!" Her two identical servants leaned on their elbows and watched, each with a wide grin that mirrored Lilly's.

"Oni…" Zoro growled.

"Zoro… Stop!" Usopp shouted. Luffy prepared for the worst.

"…Giri!"

"Vingt Fleur!" Robin's voice cut through the din. Ten of her hands sprouted on Sanji and ten on Zoro, restraining their movements and saving Chopper from being broken and Luffy from being diced. She stood in the doorway on the other side of the room with her arms crossed over her chest. "Now, Harmony-chan!"

From behind the large throne on the dais, Harmony dashed in front of Lilly Marlene and opened her mouth. Usopp, Chopper, Robin and Luffy held their breath. "_Please let them go!"_ she bellowed at Lilly from only a few feet away. Her voice sounded as if it were being broadcast from every corner of the room and echoed with a decay like harmoniously breaking glass.

Lilly was dumbstruck. Zoro and Sanji relaxed and Robin released them.

"What…?" Sanji asked putting his foot on the ground. "What possessed me to do that…!"

"That Jellyfish woman, I bet" Zoro growled, sheathing his swords.

Luffy pounded his fist into his palm. "I'm gonna kick her ass!" he shouted.

Robin stepped forward and helped Usopp untie Nami. "This is Harmony's fight now, Captain. She's the only one who can counter the power of the Siren. If she doesn't defeat her, Lilly Marlene will be able to enslave us all with a word."

Lilly's white face flushed purple as she stood up. Her full height towered over the thirteen year old girl. "Harmony," she cooed. "There's my little prodigy! I was so worried about you!"

"Why are you trying to hurt my friends?"

"These people? They're pirates, my dear."

"Pirates aren't all bad. What _you're_ doing is bad."

"I'm only looking out for your well-being."

"Vivace told me. You're only looking out for _yourself_. You force-fed me this Akuma no Mi because you wanted a strong right-hand, not because it was what was best for me!"

Lilly took a deep breath. She realized she couldn't sweet-talk her way back into the girl's good graces. "_This is how you repay my hospitality…?"_ she asked slowly, her voice like a string quartet chirping, digging and building. "_You're nothing. A speck. A child. Nothing. I could toss you into the ocean and no one would weep for you_."

Harmony backed away. "Robin Nee-chan, I can't do this…" she said at a whisper.

"Yes you can, Harmony-chan!" Robin rooted for her. "She's manipulating you. You can defeat her!"

"Don't listen to that Jellyfish, Ojou-sama!" Sanji shouted. "We would never let you get tossed into the ocean!"

"Kick her ass, Harmony!" Luffy cheered. The others cheered and gave their support to her.

Lilly ignored them. She stepped toward Harmony, her anger rising with each passing second. "You were the one. I gave you that power and you use it against me!"

Harmony squeezed her hands into fists. "I never wanted this power…" Tears rolled down her cheeks. "I just wanted to make music and make people happy. You took that away from me…" She lifted her chin. "_You won't tell me what to do anymore!"_

Lilly seemed to come to a boil. The veins in her neck stood out as she took a deep breath. Quickly and with the same gusto, Harmony did the same. They began to sing.

"_You were supposed to be by my side_!"

"_You promised me safety and you lied_!"

"_Together we would rule the Grand Line_!"

"_I don't want anything of the kind_!"

"_I am much stronger, much better than _you!"

"_You haven't yet seen just what I can do_!"

"_I will subdue you for once and for all_!"

"_And I tell you it's you who will take the falllllllllll_!" Harmony insisted. The Straw Hat pirates covered their ears as she pushed the note from the word 'fall' up two more octaves. The frequency of the note her voice produced, coupled with the Akuma no Mi power was almost deafening. Lilly Marlene struggled to match it. After about twenty seconds, the older woman's voice cracked. At the same moment, the huge windows behind them shattered and fell to the ground in a rainbow of stained-glass shards.

Lilly dropped to her knees and clutched her throat. She tried to speak, but nothing more than a scratchy squeaking issued forth. The pirates pulled their fingers out of their ears and applauded Harmony's performance.

"Now!" Luffy said, approaching the defeated siren. "I'm gonna send you flying with a kick!"

The twin women who had been at her side looked lost and confused.

Zoro touched the hilts of his swords. "How 'bout you two? You wanna fight?"

"Fight?" Vivian asked.

"Where are we?" Olivia wondered.

Harmony pouted. "It seems they were being used, too. I wonder if she has any _real_ friends."

"She's got me!" Vivace's loud voice startled them. She ran toward Lilly from the side door and put her hands out in front of her. "Sicurezza Bolla!" A bubble formed around Lilly and accepted Vivace as she ran into it.

"Oh no you don't!" Luffy shouted. "Gomu Gomu no…!" He reeled his foot back and aimed for the bubble containing the two women.

"What's he going to do!" Harmony cried.

Sanji grinned. "Don't worry, Ojou-sama, he's gonna make the bad guy go away."

"He's kind of good at that," Nami agreed with a grin.

"…Shooter!"

Vivace screamed as Luffy's foot connected with the bubble, pressed into it a bit and sent them flying out through the broken stained-glass window. Her scream faded off into the distance.__

More to come...


	14. Epilogue

**A Pirate's Life For Me! We Need A Musician!**

**Part 2 of a 4 Part Saga**

by Aoikami Sarah

**Chapter Fourteen – Epilogue **

Outside the palace, Kerodo Clef emerged from his cabin as his ship docked at Dehavala. He took a deep breath and looked up at the clear blue sky. "Alright, boys!" he called to his goons. "Let's get those bastards that burned down our club and save our butts from Lilly Marlene-sama's wrath!"

"Uh, Boss…?" one of the goons pointed up. Clef's eyes followed. "Id'n't dat her now?"

In a bubble, with a screaming Vivace, an unmistakable Lilly Marlene flew over their heads and disappeared into the horizon.

"Huh," Clef wondered. He blinked a few times. "Now I've seen everything."

"So, what now, Boss?"

"Well, I guess we don't have that witch to worry about anymore," he shrugged. "Let's find those pirates, get some nice cannolis and go back to Largo."

His entourage cheered in agreement.

**.x.**

The guards seemed surprised as the pirates filed out of the throne room, chatting idly with each other, but allowed them to pass freely. They emerged into the sunshine and hung around the steps of the White Lilly. Nami wiped her eyes clean of Tabasco with Sanji's handkerchief. "So," she said, handing the dirty hanky back to Sanji who exclaimed that he would treasure it always. "Since you're free to do whatever you want now, Harmony," she asked the young girl. "What will you do?"

Luffy stared at his musician. His mouth screwed up into a pout.

"Well, I…" Harmony began.

"There they are, boys!" Clef shouted as he spotted them.

"Ah!" Luffy cried, glad for a distraction. "It's the Bullfrog guy!"

"More weirdos," Zoro scoffed.

"More entrees," Sanji corrected. Some of the large frog goons behind Clef backed away, remembering the chef's kicks from a few days ago.

"You can't have Harmony!" Luffy shouted. Nami began to scold him, but he continued. "She's free to go wherever she wants to!"

Robin grinned. "Isn't that right, Harmony-chan?"

She nodded, the pink curls bobbing with the effort. "Lilly Marlene is gone, Mr. Clef. We are both free to do whatever we want." She smiled politely.

"So I gather! I saw her go flying when we came in," he said. He stood a few steps below them, backed by a score of henchmen. He put his foot up a step and leaned his elbow on his knee. "You're too powerful for me to control now that you got your voice back. I know better than to mess with that Akuma no Mi of yours. These pirates, however, burned down my club on their way out and I'd like to take it out of their hides!"

"What!" Nami cried. "Ok, which one of you morons burned this little frog's club down!"

"Little… frog!" Clef choked. He was ignored as the Straw Hats all denied doing the damage.

"I'm afraid we did," Olivia, one of Lilly Marlene's servants said sheepishly as she and her twin descended the stairs.

Vivian bowed deeply, mirroring her sister. "We're sorry. We've been under that woman's control for years now. We would never have done something like that willingly."

Clef was deflated. "Ah. I see." His green brows came together. "You mean we came all the way out here for nothing?" His goons all took a step back.

"Perhaps not for nothing," Harmony said. She turned to Luffy. "Captain, I thank you for rescuing me. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be able to make this decision." She bowed to him. "I'm sorry, but I can't sail with you anymore."

Luffy hesitated before grinning. "Ok."

His crew almost fell over. "This is the same man who's been saying he wanted a musician since we were in East Blue!" Usopp commented.

"We'll find another," Luffy said confidently.

Sanji tapped a cigarette against his palm. "He'll never be as good as our Ojou-sama, though."

She blushed furiously and turned back around. "Mr. Clef," she addressed him. "If you'll give me a ride back to Largo, I have an interesting business proposal for you."

Clef stopped ranting and blinked at her. "Who's a what now?"

"Take me back to Largo. I want to open my own casino and venue and I'll need your expertise." Harmony smiled with a new sparkle in her eyes.

He blinked again and gave a relieved laugh. "Alright Miss Sairen. You got yourself a deal. Men, prepare the ship for departure, back to Largo!" He and the frog men walked back down the main street to the harbor. The Luffy Pirates headed slowly in the same direction. Harmony boarded the Going Merry for the second and last time to retrieve her Music Box. She slipped her little arms into the straps and hefted it easily down the gangplank. They all escorted her to Clef's waiting ship and said their good-byes.

Harmony sighed and fought the start of tears. "I'll miss you all so much."

Nami stepped forward and gave her a hug. "Thank you for my wonderful song!" she said.

"Yeah!" Chopper agreed. "Thanks for my 'Present'!"

Usopp, Robin, Luffy and even Zoro echoed their sentiments. Sanji remained quiet.

"Oh!" Harmony cried. "Sanji-san! I forgot your song!"

"It's alright. I don't need one."

"But I wrote you one and I never got to…"

"You mean the one you sang in the kitchen when you washing dishes?" he said drawing on the cigarette. "Something about the Sea and the Moon?"

Harmony's face matched her hair. She nodded.

"Thank you," he said. "I'll never forget it."

She looked around and found Robin's kind eyes resting on her. "Robin Nee-chan…" she said and ran at the woman. Robin's eyes widened as the girl threw her arms around her and squeezed. She laughed lightly and returned the hug.

"Take care, Harmony-chan," she said quietly.

Harmony let her go and hugged the rest of the crew before picking her Box back up and boarding Clef's ship.

"Harmony!" Luffy called. She paused halfway up the gangplank and turned, the box swinging easily with her movement. "So which person on the Going Merry has the best voice!"

"The best?" she said, smiling with closed eyes. "That would be the Captain!" She waved from the stern until they couldn't see her anymore.

When the last of the crew had turned to go, Luffy let out a long sigh. "We need a musician…" he said sadly, a childish pout on his face. He then followed his nakama back to the Going Merry.

END

_This saga will be continued in part Three: "The Pirate King Is Dead" which takes place four years after this story._


End file.
